The average price of gasoline held steady at most stations around Bladen County over the weekend.

The average price of gasoline held steady at most stations around Bladen County over the weekend.

<p>The average price of gasoline held steady at most stations around Bladen County over the weekend.</p>

The average price of gasoline held steady at most stations around Bladen County over the weekend.

ELIZABETHTOWN — The average price of gas in Bladen County and Elizabethtown dropped slightly over the weekend to $3.25 per gallon, even as the rest of the country saw prices climb.

For the second straight week, gas prices around the country have headed higher, with the nation’s average gas price posting a rise of 11.1 cents from a week ago to $3.78 per gallon today, according to GasBuddy data compiled from more than 11 million individual price reports covering over 150,000 stations nationwide.

The national average is up 0.4 cents from a month ago and 59.8 cents higher than a year ago. The national average price of diesel has declined 2.9 cents in the last week and stands at $4.86 per gallon, according to information for GasBuddy.

“With gas prices continuing to surge on the West Coast and Great Lakes, the national average saw its second straight weekly rise,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “But at the same time, areas of the Northeast and Gulf Coast have continued to see declines as the nation experiences sharp differences in trends between regions,”

A report from AAA stated that tight supply and increased demand as more drivers fuel up are the main culprits for a surge in gas prices around the country.

“The regional differences in gas prices are stark at the moment, with prices on the West Coast hitting $6 a gallon and higher, while Texas and Gulf Coast states have prices dipping below $3 in some areas,” said Andrew Gross, AAA spokesperson. “At least six California refineries are undergoing maintenance, and there is limited pipeline supply to the West Coast from locations east of the Rockies.”

To offset surging prices, California officials will allow the sale of less expensive winter blend gasoline a month ahead of schedule, according to AAA. It is unknown how much of an impact this will have on prices.

Meanwhile, gas prices in the upper Midwest have risen since a deadly refinery fire on Sept. 20 in Toledo, Ohio, which closed the plant. According to the latest reports, the 160,000 barrel-per-day BP-Husky Toledo refinery could be down for months.

OIL PRICES

Crude oil prices were sharply higher in early Monday trade as OPEC prepares to meet this week and appears likely to cut oil production as the global economy slows down, which had seen West Texas Intermediate crude oil (WTI) fall under $80 per barrel, the lowest since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to the GasBuddy report.

West Texas Intermediate was up $4.72 per barrel early Monday to $84.21, up from last Monday’s $78.15 per barrel start. Brent crude was also jumping in early action, up $4.41 to $89.55, up from last Monday’s $85.37 print.

According to Baker Hughes, last week’s U.S. rig count was up by 1 rig to 765, and was 237 rigs higher than a year ago. The Canadian rig count was down 2 rigs to 213, and was 48 rigs higher than a year ago.